The Last Minute
by rubycaspar
Summary: Team Sheppard only has a minute left to live  what will they say to one another? Oneshot, Sheyla.


_Disclaimer – I own none of the Stargate franchise._

Okay, well, this is what I do when I'm bored on trains. Enjoy!

_**The Last Minute**_

They had known when they set out from Atlantis yesterday that there was little chance they would return alive. But still, after all they had survived together, after all they had gone through, Teyla found it hard to believe it had come to this.

She looked around at her team-mates, who stood completely still, also looking around. The room they stood in was small and square, dimly lit by flickering lights in the ceiling. It had no windows and the door was fit so snugly it was almost invisible when it was closed, and the walls were seamless and thick. They had all been stripped to the lowest layers of their uniforms – they had lost their jackets, their radios, their supplies and their weapons. Even Ronon was devoid of knives, though Teyla doubted having a knife would have helped them. There was no way out.

At least they had succeeded in their mission. Because of their actions the atrocities of this facility would never be unleashed on the galaxy. Their lives were a small price to pay for the countless lives they had saved.

At length, Ronon broke the heavy silence. "So John," he said. "Now seems like as good a time as any for that fight to the death."

John gave Ronon a sardonic look. "How about we just say you won?" He said.

Ronon shrugged. "We'll call it a draw," he replied. He and John exchanged small, sad smiles.

"One minute," said Rodney in a low, slightly strangled voice.

One minute. It was all they had left. Teyla swallowed, and thought of the rites and prayers she should say, knowing as she did the exact time and method of her death. But all she could concentrate on were the people standing beside her, and at that moment they were so much more important.

They were her family, and this was their last minute together.

Teyla raised her chin and gazed around at them. "I want you all to know that it has been my greatest honour to fight alongside you these past years," she said. She managed a smile. "You have been good friends."

"Yeah, er…" mumbled Rodney. He gulped. "I've never been part of a team before. I never… I didn't think anything could mean as much to me as this has. As you guys have."

Teyla's eyes filled with tears and she smiled affectionately at the scientist. Ronon cleared his throat and Teyla saw that he too looked emotional.

"Same here," he said gruffly. "When I was on the run I really didn't think that… thank you."

Teyla fought hard to keep her tears back and swallowed again. She refused to cry.

Ronon looked at John, and Teyla followed his gaze. He was looking around at them, a vague sense of panic in his eyes. "What the hell am I meant to say after that?" He said.

Teyla smiled again, and so did Ronon and Rodney. Teyla felt that the fact any of them could manage to smile was a testament to the strength of their friendship.

John sighed. "I'm not good at goodbyes," he said. "And this is one goodbye I never wanted to say. But… I guess I just want you all to know that you're more than a team to me. You're family."

He smiled slightly and looked at each of them in turn. His eyes came to rest on Teyla and her heart sped up at the intensity in his gaze.

"Ten seconds," whispered Rodney.

Ten seconds. Regret rolled over Teyla like a wave, so strong she could hardly breathe. All this time she had been waiting for John to 'make the first move', and now she only had ten seconds left – no time to finally take a chance and make a move herself. She had always hoped that one day one of them would find the courage to say something – _do _something.

Now she knew that day would never come.

"John," she said falteringly, without a clue as to what she wanted to say to him.

John was standing completely still, his eyes still boring into Teyla's intently. When she said his name she saw him tense and his jaw clench, and then he moved. Three swift strides brought him to Teyla's side and suddenly his hands gripped either side of her face as his mouth crashed down on hers.

All thoughts of time, place and what was about to happen to them fled from Teyla's mind as their lips met. She opened her mouth eagerly under his and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, her hands raking through his hair on the way. One of John's hands slid down her body and he wrapped his arm round her waist, pulling her flush against him as the kiss deepened. It didn't matter that they had never said the words, or that they would never get the chance to – this kiss told Teyla more about John's feelings for her than she would ever have been able to be told by words, and she poured all of herself into kissing him back, desperately trying to convey her love for him before it was too late.

It wasn't just the sound of someone clearing their throat that made Teyla pull back – it was the realisation that it was neither Ronon nor Rodney that had done so.

John seemed to realise the same thing at the same time – their kiss ended abruptly as they both jerked their heads back and opened their eyes.

The light was brighter. The air was cleaner. And there were many, many more people in the room.

"Welcome aboard."

Teyla and John sprang apart as though they'd been burned, and Colonel Caldwell raised an eyebrow at them. Everyone on the bridge of the Daedalus was staring at them, and Teyla felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She glanced at John – he was staring wide-eyed at Colonel Caldwell, his ears and the back of his neck flushed a deep red.

"Um… thank you, Sir," he said falteringly. "We… er… we didn't know you were in the neighbourhood."

"We weren't," replied the Colonel smoothly. "It took some serious engine modification."

"Right. Thanks," said John. "Is the facility gone?"

Colonel Caldwell looked to the technician on his left, who nodded. "Yes Sir, it was destroyed a second after we beamed the team out," he said.

"Good," said John. His voice was slightly higher than normal.

Teyla glanced at Rodney – he was looking around the bridge of the Daedalus in disbelief, seemingly still unable to believe their narrow escape. She looked over at Ronon – he was looking right back at her and John, obviously highly amused.

Teyla snapped her eyes back to Colonel Caldwell, who was now staring at John with an unreadable look on his face.

As the shock of their sudden appearance on the Daedalus began to wear off the meaning of it started to sink in – _they were alive_. They were alive, they were safe.

And John had just kissed her.

"I think you should all report to the infirmary," said Colonel Caldwell now. "We'll debrief later."

"Um, yes, Sir," said John. He started to turn towards the door – towards Teyla – and she quickly followed suit, making her way towards the exit of the bridge. Rodney led the way and John and Ronon followed behind her. She needed to talk to John, but not in front of so many people. And right now she was still so embarrassed that it was difficult to look at him.

Still though, that kiss… her breath caught in her throat just thinking about it. She now knew without a doubt that John's feelings for her were as strong as hers, but would that be enough? Now that they had the opportunity to explore their feelings, would they?

The silence was excruciating as they walked through the hallways of the Daedalus towards the infirmary. There was a new spring in Rodney's step as his spirits returned, but Teyla did not dare to look around at Ronon and John.

Suddenly, Teyla felt a hand on her elbow. "Excuse us," John said loudly. His voice dropped in volume as he pulled her to one side of the corridor. "Teyla, I need to talk to you."

Everything was a blur as a door was opened and she was pulled into a small room, but she caught a glimpse of Ronon and Rodney's faces as the door closed behind her and John. Rodney looked shocked, and Teyla could only imagine what the look on his face had been when she and John had kissed. Ronon looked like he was about to start laughing.

As soon as the door was closed Teyla turned to face John, vaguely recognising that he had pulled her into a store room lit only by a small window on the far wall.

John stared down at her and opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. His grip on her elbow tightened, but still no words came. He started to draw circles on her arm with the pad of his thumb. From the look on his face Teyla doubted whether he even realised what he was doing, or the effect it was having on her ability to concentrate.

"John?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry," John said, suddenly finding his voice.

Teyla had to look away at his words. She knew that John's sense of duty and honour was what was making him doubt his actions, rather than lack of feeling for her. She knew him well enough not to doubt that. Her mind raced as she tried to think of what to say to reassure him.

"My Mom always told me off for leaving things to the last minute," John said. Teyla's eyes widened and she looked back at him. He gave her a lopsided grin. "That was a pretty good example."

Teyla's face broke into a smile and she just beamed at him, her heart rising in her throat. "I believe I can find it in my heart to forgive you," she said.

John's grin widened. "So… if I were to kiss you again…?"

"Let us just say that this time I would not tell you to give it no further thought," Teyla replied, still smiling.

John raised his free hand and cupped her cheek. Teyla's smile faded slightly as John's eyes grew dark with desire.

"I've got a confession to make," he said in a low voice.

Teyla covered his hand on her cheek with her own. "What?" She asked.

John took a step closer to her and leaned down so his lips were mere inches away from hers. It took all of Teyla's self-control to stop herself from initiating the kiss without waiting for his answer.

John smiled. "It's all I ever think about."

_**The End**_


End file.
